338 THE FAT OF THE LAND 
and had experienced, for the first time, real dif- 
ficulties in finding anything like good help. 
Hitherto I had been especially fortunate in this 
regard. I had met some reverses, but in the 
main good luck had followed me. I had nine 
good men who seemed contented and who were 
all saving money, —an excellent sign of stability 
and contentment. Even Lars had not fallen 
from grace but once, and that could hardly be 
charged against him, for Jack and Jarvis had 
tempted him beyond resistance; while Sam’s 
nose was quite blanched, and he was to all 
appearances firmly seated on the water wagon. — 
Really, I did not know what labor troubles 
meant until 1898, but since then I have not had 
clear sailing. 
From my previous experience with working- 
men, I had formed the opinion that they were 
reasoning and reasonable human beings, — with 
peculiarities, of course; and that as a class they 
were ready to give good service for fair wages 
and decent treatment. In early life I had been 
a working-man myself, and I thought I could 
understand the feelings and sympathize with the 
trials of the laborer from the standpoint of per- 
sonal experience. I was sorely mistaken. The 
laboring man of to-day is a different proposition 
from the man who did manual labor “ before the 
war.” That he is more intelligent, more provi- 
dent, happier, or better in any way, I sincerely 
doubt; that he is restless, dissatisfied, and less 
